Israel had stumbled in her ways from the ancient paths, walking on bypaths, on a way not cast up (v. 15b). The ancient paths were the right paths, which their forefathers had taken. Whereas the right way, the ancient way, leads upward, the bypaths lead downward. To take the bypaths is to go downward; to take the ancient paths, a way that is cast up, is to go upward. In the Lord's recovery today, we are taking the upward way, the ancient paths, which the apostle Paul and the other apostles took.
Because of their evil condition, Israel made their land an astonishment, a thing to be hissed at, to be despised, forever (v. 16).
Furthermore, they plotted against Jeremiah. "Then they said, Come, let us devise plots against Jeremiah; for the law will not perish from the priest or counsel from the wise or a word from the prophet. Come, let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not hearken to any of his words" (v. 18). They contended with him and dug a pit for his life, having hidden snares for his feet and having made counsel against him for his death (vv. 19-20a, 22b-23a). How evil they were!
Originally, Jeremiah the prophet interceded for them. However, their opposition forced the prophet to turn his intercession for them before Jehovah to a curse upon them (vv. 19-23).
Israel also forced Jehovah to form evil and devise a plan against her (v. 11a). Thus, in verse 17 He said, "Like the east wind I will scatter them / Before the enemy; / I will show them My back and not My face / In the day of their calamity." I believe that all these evils should have convinced Jeremiah that God's judgment of Israel was right.